Inside The Bills

The Jets have still found a way to win six of their last eight meetings with the Bills, including a 3-1 mark at the Meadowlands over that four-year span, but the numbers show their run game is not what it used to be.

Back in 2009 and 2010, the Jets ran the ball at will to victory over Buffalo, when the Bills run defense was among the least effective in football. Since then their success running the football has been limited. Here’s a look at their yards per carry average against the Bills in their last eight games.

In the four games in 2009 and 2010, the Jets were one of the better rushing teams in football, and against the Bills they were even better averaging a fat 6.14 yards per carry. With the losses in recent years of Thomas Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson and primary FB Tony Richardson, the run game hasn’t had the same pop.

In the four meetings from 2011 to 2012, the Jets have averaged just 3.69 yards per carry. Even Jets head coach Rex Ryan admitted they’re not the rushing team they used to be on Friday.

“When we were ground and pound, that thing has come with me forever,” said Ryan. “That was based on our personnel. If you look at the backs that we had, we had three great tailbacks with Thomas Jones, with Shonn Greene and with Leon Washington. That was pretty good. We had [Danny] Woodhead, things like that behind him. That was a pretty darn good backfield, Tony Richardson.

can still win in today’s league with a strong rushing attack, Ryan referenced the personnel he no longer has on his roster.

“Yeah, if we had those backs and the line and all that stuff. And D-Wood [Damien Woody], I’m sure you could.”